Amy’s Trail Mix – A Recipe

If you have read any of my Northwoods Journal posts, you know my husband and I do a lot of hiking.  I spent a lot of time trying to find things we could carry in our backpack, things that would be a somewhat healthy, energizing snack when we would stop to take rest brakes.  I tried granola bars but I found that I really don’t like what passes today for a granola bar.  They are too crumbly and most of it ends up on the ground, or stuck in the bottom of the wrapper.  They easily get crushed to nothing if something sits on the backpack (you know, like a beagle), not to mention that they are so small now, you can swallow one down in two bites.  So, I decided to try making my own version of trail mix, something we could pop in a zipper bag and it would fit whether we used the big backpack or the smaller one.

I experimented for awhile to get the right combination of ingredients that both my husband and I liked.  Some ingredients met with approval, some with disapproval.  (Butterscotch chips definitely met with disapproval!)  Now my trail mix is the only kind Mark will eat.  There have been times when I have been in a money or time pinch and just bought a bag of pre-made mix off the shelves of the grocery store.  Mark won’t touch it.  It was his idea that I should share my recipe on my blog.  I can’t vouch for how “healthy” this stuff actually is, and I’m sure it’s calorie laden, not to mention that by time you buy all the ingredients it ends up costing something like $50 a pound! LOL  Okay, that’s just a bit of an exaggeration.  But it really is tasty!  And the recipe makes a lot.  Put it in an airtight container and it will last awhile.

My advice, don’t sit down with the container on your lap.  You will start munching and before you know it you will have consumed far more sugar and calories than you probably should at one sitting!

Enjoy and happy hiking!

Amy’s Trail Mix

1 bag dark chocolate chips

1 bag peanut butter chips

1 bag mini M & M candies

1 bag Craisins. (I have used all the different flavors of Craisins, we like original the best.)

1 jar lightly salted, roasted peanuts

1 C cashews

1 C natural almonds or pecans (you can use 2 C of any of your favorite nuts)

2 C dried banana chips

1 1/2 C dried pineapple tidbits. (I used to be able to get the tiny pineapple bits but I haven’t been able to find them recently so I cut the ones I buy now, like Sunmaid brand, into much smaller pieces)

1 C unsalted, natural pumpkin seed meats

1 C sunflower kernels

1 C raisins

Dump all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix with a spoon.  Store in an airtight container.  Divide into small zipper bags for hiking.  (Hint: don’t leave it in a hot car all day. 🙂  )